


Crossing Lines

by heyHEYOhSorry



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Moving On, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 19:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14171706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyHEYOhSorry/pseuds/heyHEYOhSorry
Summary: Barry entered the Speed Force, leaving two broken halves of a relationship.OrLeonard Snart keeps stopping by at midnight. Maybe it was okay when Barry wasn’t in the Speed Force. Maybe even the first couple of weeks when she and Leonard were both alone and struggling to deal with the giant hole in their lives.She wasn’t sure if it was okay three months later.





	Crossing Lines

“Neighborhood watch is going to stop you one of these nights”

“Are you suggesting a bunch of retirees is going to do what the FBI haven’t managed.” Leonard Snart drawls, leaning against her door frame with too much confidence.

“They might.”

“Sure, West."

Iris tugs her sleep robe tighter, shielding herself from the cold night air she continues to let into her apartment the longer she entertains Leonard Snart at her front door.

“How did you get here anyway?” Iris asks, peaking over his shoulder to the empty street behind him.

“I was in the neighborhood.”

 _Okay,_ Iris didn’t even bother hiding her eye roll. It’s a stupid response, but then she asked a stupid question. She should know by now her chances of getting a straight answer are slim. Sometimes she's willing to go toe-to-toe with Snart, however it’s almost 3AM and she’s got a busy morning, so instead she just slides over and let’s Leonard into her home.

“This is becoming a habit.” Iris calls as she walks back to her bedroom, referring to the almost biweekly nightly visits she gets from Snart. Snart grumbles a response, clearly not caring and probably already halfway asleep on her couch.

*

Snart likes to saunter around the Cortex like his presence is a gift. As though he’s the only one who’s found themselves unexpectedly a part of a superhero team.

“Are you thinking about buying a new couch soon? I swear, the springs are horrible for my back.” Snart says, dramatically stretching his back.

Iris quickly looks around to see if anyone else can hear their conversation, but they’re all on the other side of the lab testing new features on Wally’s suit. So she turns her chair to face Snart who is seated on the console, something Cisco has asked him one hundred times not to do.

“Well you’re more than welcome to sleep in your own bed.”

Len smirks, “But then who would make me breakfast in the morning.”

“I’m your boyfriend’s fiancé. Not your personal chef.” Iris chastises.

“Oh Iris, you can be anything if you put your mind to it.” He says with a condescending grin.

Out of all the men Barry could have fallen in love with, he had to fall in love with a smug sarcastic asshole.

“I honestly can’t believe you still think it’s appropriate dropping by in the middle of the night.” Iris says, careful to keep her voice low.

Maybe it was okay when Barry wasn’t in the Speed Force. Maybe even the first couple of weeks when she and Leonard were both alone and struggling to deal with the giant hole in their lives. She wasn’t sure if it was okay three months later.  

Iris and Snart had a delicate relationship. They weren’t ever supposed to be anything more than cordial with each other. At least, that’s what Iris had wanted at first.

“Why does it bother you so much, West? Afraid of what will happen if you spend too much time with me?” Len teased.

One day Leonard was going to smirk at her, and Iris was going to slap the satisfied look off his face. Iris hates that despite that, he still makes her blush.

*

Iris started meeting Leonard for drinks at Sinners & Saints before Barry entered the Speed Force. It was their scheduled, “we’re both dating Barry let’s try to get along” social hour.  The only reason she keeps meeting Snart is because it’s already apart of her weekly schedule. (It doesn’t matter that they’ve increased their meeting time).

She’s late tonight. She had to work late at CCPN and deal with a problem her incompetent intern couldn’t handle. Worse, her phone died so she couldn’t text Len, so Iris finds herself rushing to get to the bar.

But it doesn’t matter because when Iris arrives Leonard is there, waiting in their booth like usual.

Iris apologies as she slides into the booth across Snart.

Leonard waves off her apology. “Don’t worry, the jalapeño poppers just got here.” He says, sliding her drink across the table, a whiskey sour, just what Iris wanted.

“So, what intern got your panties in a twist? Bet it was Peter. I don’t get why you don’t fire the kid.” Leonard says.

Leonard knows all about Iris’s co-workers. While Leonard’s occupation isn’t always a safe topic, the ins and outs of Iris’s day at CCPN are. She’s told Leonard stories about her blundering intern Peter before.

“He’s not that bad.” Iris countered, “Granted Peter may not be the most organized or efficient, but he’s incredibly creative and comes up with thoughts none of the other interns think off.” 

Leonard scoffs. “Like his article idea about a spider-web shooting superhero.”

Iris laughed, “Well that wasn’t his strongest moment.”

 “You know, that’s why they gave him to you. You see the good in people.” The way Snart says it makes Iris feel as though he’s talking about something greater than her reckless intern. The way he looks at her is poignant.

There’s a beat of silence.

“Go on a date with me?”

Iris chokes on her drink.

“That’s not funny.” Iris says. Even though the concentration in which Len looks at her says he doesn’t mean it as joke.

“We could go see a show or catch a film.” Len proposed offhandedly, tossing a popper into his mouth.

 “Len.” Iris says in warning.

“Let’s be real, we’ve _been_ going on dates. I’m just suggesting something more formal than this shith-.”

“Len, stop it. Don’t.” Iris hates how weak she sounds.

What they had wasn’t easy to get to. When Barry asked Iris if he could date both her and Snart, Iris hadn’t smiled and immediately been okay with the idea. She had worked to understand polyamory. All three of them had to learn, but especially her and Len. They practiced sharing time, cutting back on PDA. And then they had to learn to put up with each other.

Two loud, strong personalities, with even stronger opinions didn’t mesh easily. They spent a whole month bickering and quarreling over every little thing. Every group dinner they attempted ended with someone storming away from the table. Barry interceded when Iris tried to throw her shoe at Snart. Even Cisco had banned them from being in the Cortex at the same time.

And then it just stopped, Snart learned to deal with Iris’s stubbornness, and she learned to tell when Snart was purposefully trying to rile her up. And it became easier, and easier, until Iris couldn't imagine her life without him.

“Don’t ruin this.” Iris begs.

“Fine.” Leonard concedes, taking a sip of his whiskey.  

“I’ve got another inside scoop for you.” Leonard starts, switching topics for the rest of the night.

*

She’s not even asleep when he comes the next time.

Leonard banging on the door and calling her name, forces Iris out of the blanket cocoon she had wrapped herself in as she watched “The Sound of Music”. She should consider getting Len a key if she was going to bend over and let him in all the time. At least he brought beer.

It’s not even 10 o’clock. “Weren’t you supposed to have your big meeting tonight?” Iris says, as she drops back onto the couch.

She hasn’t spoken to Len in two weeks ago. He had cancelled their usual time saying he needed to prepare this meeting with the Hernandez cartel. Iris couldn’t help but think it had to do with their conversation last time.  

“Had the meeting. Made the deal. Left the meeting.” Leonard drawls.

“Good news?” Iris asks, taking a beer Leonard offers.

“We’ll see.”

He’s still dressed in his business attire, black slacks, black shoes, white buttoned down. Iris watches as he untucks his shirt and rolls up his sleeves showing off his tattooed forearms.

Barry once confessed that Leonard’s forearms were the sexiest part about him. Iris would jump off a building, than admit that she agrees.

“Iris.”

Iris looks up from his arms, to the man next to her.

They’re seated too close together. The solid press of his thigh is warm against hers. Iris wishes she had thrown on something other than a tank and tiny running shorts. Too much of her skin on display. Bad enough that she feels completely exposed when she looks him in the eyes.

“No.” she turns her head back to the screen.

“Iris, think about it.”

 _No._ There’s no way that Barry would want to the two people he cares about most to cheat on him, with each other. This was Snart feeling lonely.

“Len, I miss him too. But this isn’t the wa-“ Iris starts,

“Fuck Iris. Can this not be about Barry? Can this just be about you and I?”

“There is no you and I.”

“Iris stop pretending! This was going to happen.”

“No. No” she shakes her head

“Why can’t you-“ Leonard begs

“Leonard-“

“You kissed me!”

He’s standing to his feet. Iris has never seen Leonard this passionate before. He fluctuates between irritated and frustrated, but she’s never seen him truly hurt like the way he is now.

“Was that a mistake?” Len pleaded.

Iris knows what Len is referring to, the night that drinks at Sinners & Saints led to follow-up drinks at Leonard’s apartment. As much as she wished she could blame it on liquid courage, kissing Len was something she’d been thinking about for months. What had made it sweeter, was the way Len had softly cradled her cheek, asking if she was sure. His face rosy and stunned that she had wanted him, so she stood on her tip toes to kissed him again.

That wasn't a lie. She had struggled coming to turns with her feelings for Snart, and the possibility of sharing her heart with two people. And then the moment she finally did, Savitar came and whatever threesome she, Len, and Barry could have been had to be put on hold.  

“It wasn’t a mistake.” Iris confessed.

How could it be. Leonard was smart and witty, and knew the little things about her in a way only Barry knew.

Leonard sat back down, leaning into Iris, and took her hands in his.

“Iris, I wish that Barry were here. That he’d get to see us together. But I’m not letting you slip away, just because he isn’t. I’m not losing both halves of me.”

This time Leonard kissed Iris, lips soft even as he poured his emotion into it. He looked at her in awe when he pulled away.

Iris leaned her head on his shoulder, taking deep breaths trying to steady her racing heart. It still surprised her that anyone besides Barry could make her feel this way.

And yet, there was a knot in a stomach that tightened when she thought about a relationship with Len. She didn't know if it would work just the two of them, or without Barry they would revert back to the yelling, contentious, relationship they had before.

“I’m scared.” She whispered into his collar.

“That’s okay” Leonard sighed, throwing an arm over her shoulder, "We'll take it slow." he leaned them back until Iris was laid out on top of him. Iris closed her eyes and cuddled deeper into the warmth of his embrace.

They stayed like that, watching Julie Andrews. And when the movie ended, Iris led Len into the bedroom, she offered him some of Barry's pajamas, watched him strip out of his business clothes into boxers and a night shirt.  He climbed into Barry's side, left a bit of space between, before wishing her goodnight, and together they fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love any and all comments. Thank you for reading!!


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